Electromagnetic energy, such as laser light, is used to perform various medical procedures including the destruction of diseased tissues, for example. One optical device that is used in surgical tools that perform such medical procedures is a side-firing optical device.
Side fire optical devices are typically used to redirect electromagnetic radiation (hereinafter “laser light”) in an off-axis direction from the longitudinal axis of the delivery fiber and the device, typically at and angle of 74-76 degrees off axis. Conventional side-firing optical devices operate by reflecting the electromagnetic radiation off of a beveled optical surface. The redirected output laser light is transmitted through a transmitting surface, also known as a protective cap, of the device to the surgical site. The redirected output laser light typically spans a short arc, typically 26 degrees, full angle, about the longitudinal axis of the device. An exemplary side-firing optical device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,699.
While such conventional side-firing optical devices are useful for the treatment of specifically targeted material (i.e., spot treatments), they are not designed to provide substantially uniform treatment of tissue surrounding the device in a radial direction.